Alex Apodaca upsets Bella Mir in historic Contender Series victory

Alex Apodaca secured a UFC contract after pulling off the largest betting upset in Dana White’s Contender Series history, defeating highly touted prospect Bella Mir via unanimous decision. Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir and an NCAA wrestling champion, entered the bantamweight bout as a massive favorite, with some betting lines as high as -6000.

Apodaca controlled the match by successfully defending Mir’s takedown attempts and outstriking her in the later rounds. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Apodaca. UFC President Dana White noted that the difference in the fight was Mir’s lack of experience in “deep water” compared to Apodaca.

Other notable results from the Week 3 event at the Meta APEX included Guilherme Uriel earning a contract with a 50-second submission victory over Mario Piazzon, Nick Galanti securing a contract via a first-round knockout of Carlos Petruzzella, and Ronald Humphrey winning by submission against Alexis Miranda.